1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Chinese-language address inputting method for rapidly inputting a Chinese-language address by using 10 numeric keys xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c9xe2x80x9d.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a multidisciplinary company expecting to acquire business opportunities via advertising, sends out direct mail advertisements and leaflets by mail, it is important to prepare basic customer data. For this reason, when sending direct mail and leaflets by mail, utilizing the already-known characteristics of databases has become an important task from the standpoint of easily and quickly inputting a desired address.
Large numbers of Chinese-language inputting methods and devices, which make use of keyboards, are being developed and marketed these days. Among the methods for inputting Chinese characters via keyboards like this, there is a Chinese character typeface-based inputting method, and a Chinese character reading-based inputting method. As an example of a Chinese character typeface-based inputting method, the Ts""ang-ge inputting method can be cited, and as an example of a Chinese character reading-based inputting method, the Han-yin inputting method can be cited. In methods that use keyboards like this, regardless of whether it is a Ts""ang-ge inputting method, or a Han-yin inputting method, in addition to the 26 English alphabetic keys on practically all general-purpose computer keyboards, notations, such as typeface or vocalization symbols, are assigned to numeric keys, and special symbol keys. FIG. 11 shows an example of such key assignments.
Further, a xe2x80x9cNumeric Key-based Chinese Character Voice Inputting Methodxe2x80x9d disclosed in Republic of China Patent No. 73889, and a xe2x80x9cChinese-Language Inputting Method In Accordance With Western-style Romanized Character Notations Using Numeric Keysxe2x80x9d disclosed in Republic of China Patent No. 73890 are also Chinese character reading-based inputting methods. In these two Chinese patents, Pinyin symbols, which are Chinese-language vocalization symbols, and phonetic symbols are assigned to eight numeric keys, for example, to key xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d through key xe2x80x9c8xe2x80x9d, of a numeric keypad on the right side of a keyboard. FIG. 12 shows the key assignments of the numeric keypad in these two patents. Accordingly, two numeric codes are assigned to each vocalization symbol. For example, xe2x80x9c11xe2x80x9d represents either the vocalization symbol xe2x80x9cxe2x80x94xe2x80x9d hereinbelow, or the Pinyin symbol xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9c12xe2x80x9d represents either the vocalization symbol  or the Pinyin symbolxe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d.
The problems explained hereinbelow are found in the above-mentioned prior art. That is, when a Chinese-language address is to be inputted, the characters must be inputted one at a time. Since each character is associated with a plurality of key signals, inputting is both time consuming and troublesome. For example, when  (Taipeihsien)xe2x80x9d is to be inputted using a general-purpose computer keyboard, under conditions that do not take into consideration problems such as word boundary detection, homonyms, and terminology, in accordance with a Han-yin inputting method, this requires ten operations, and in accordance with the patents of Republic of China Patent No. 73889 and Republic of China Patent No. 73890, this requires seventeen operations.
For most Chinese-language inputting methods, other keys must also be used in addition to the numeric keys xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c9xe2x80x9d. For this reason, the Chinese-language inputting methods cannot be applied to devices, the numeric keys of which constitute the ten keys xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c9xe2x80x9d.
There are also a plurality of inputting methods, which enhance conversion accuracy by using a dictionary of commonly used words, but none have been produced using the peculiar attributes of an address. This is because place names and province names are not normally commonly used words. Consequently, for the user, the inputting of an address is apt to become a great burden.
With the foregoing problems in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide a numeric key-based Chinese-language inputting method, which enables the rapid inputting of a Chinese-language address in accordance with using numeric keys xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c9xe2x80x9d.
To accomplish the foregoing object, the present invention provides a Chinese-language address inputting method for execution by using a device, which comprises a memory portion, a display portion, and a numeric keypad, for inputting a Chinese-language address through numeric keys, which method comprises the following steps.
Inputting Step: Either inputs a Chinese-language address, a single Chinese character, or a numeral, or controls the input mode, in accordance with an input convention, which calls for assigning all Chinese-language vocalization symbols to numeric keys, and with the exception of making a certain key a control key, assigning consonants to six keys, assigning vowels to one key, assigning rhythm to two keys, and assigning five tonal symbols to five consonant keys, respectively.
Controlling Step: Determines, in accordance with a user inputted signal, a numerical inputting mode, or a single Chinese character inputting mode, or an address inputting mode, and performs control such that for a numerical inputting mode, processing is performed in accordance with a numerical processing step, and for a single Chinese character inputting mode, processing is performed in accordance with a single Chinese character processing step, and for an address inputting mode, processing is performed in accordance with an address data processing step.
Numerical Processing Step: Outputs to the display portion as a single numeral a numeric key signal for which the same key is inputted two times in succession.
Single Chinese Character Processing Step: Stores in the memory portion a key signal/vocalization symbol lookup table created in accordance with the above-mentioned input convention, references this key signal/vocalization symbol lookup table each time two numeric keys are inputted in succession, and detects, and then outputs to the display portion a corresponding vocalization symbol, and when a tonal symbol is detected, references a character dictionary stored in the memory portion, and detects, and then outputs to the display portion a Chinese-language character, which corresponds to the above-mentioned inputted vocalization symbol string.
Address Data Processing Step: References, in accordance with successively user inputted key signals and a set hierarchical relationship, an address database stored in the memory portion, and detects, and then outputs to the display portion a corresponding address character string.
Outputting Step: Outputs and displays on the display portion a Chinese-language address comprising the characters and numerals detected in accordance with each of the above-mentioned steps.
It is desirable that the input convention in the above-mentioned inputting step is such as shown in FIG. 2, and that the key signal/vocalization symbol lookup table in the above-mentioned single Chinese character processing step is such as shown in FIG. 3.
It is also desirable that the character dictionary structure in the above-mentioned single Chinese character processing step comprise vocalization symbol code strings and Chinese-language characters as shown in FIG. 4, and, as for the vocalization symbol code thereof, that the vocalization symbol of this corresponding Chinese-language character comprise two numerals in accordance with the above-mentioned input convention.
Again, it is desirable that the hierarchical relationship utilized in the above-mentioned address data processing step divide a Chinese-language address into a subordinate relationship, such as province-city, city-town-village, and road-street-lane-alley, and the like, and that a desired Chinese-language address be detected in accordance with the relationship thereof.
Further, it is desirable that the structure of the address database utilized in the above-mentioned address data processing step constitute address codes, address characters, and subsequent search ranges as shown in FIG. 5, that the above-mentioned address code constitute two numeric codes, which represent the first vocalization symbol of each Chinese-language character in a Chinese-language character string of a desired address, that an address character be a Chinese-language character string of a desired address, and that a subsequent search range define a hierarchical relationship.
According to the above-described constitution, an inputting step either inputs a Chinese-language address, a single Chinese character, or a numeral, or controls the input mode, in accordance with an input convention, which calls for assigning all Chinese-language vocalization symbols to numeric keys, and with the exception of making a certain key a control key, assigning consonants to six keys, assigning vowels to one key, assigning rhythm to two keys, and assigning five tonal symbols to five consonant keys, respectively. A controlling step determines, in accordance with a user inputted signal, a numerical inputting mode, or a single Chinese character inputting mode, or an address inputting mode, and performs control such that for a numerical inputting mode, processing is performed in accordance with a numerical processing step, and for a single Chinese character inputting mode, processing is performed in accordance with a single Chinese character processing step, and for an address inputting mode, processing is performed in accordance with an address data processing step. A numerical processing step outputs to the display portion as a single numeral a numeric key signal for which the same key is inputted two times in succession. A single Chinese character processing step stores in the memory portion a key signal/vocalization symbol lookup table created in accordance with the above-mentioned input convention, references this key signal/vocalization symbol lookup table each time two numeric keys are inputted in succession, and detects, and then outputs to the display portion a corresponding vocalization symbol, and when a tonal symbol is detected, references a character dictionary stored in the memory portion, and detects, and then outputs to the display portion a Chinese-language character, which corresponds to the above-mentioned inputted vocalization symbol string. An address data processing step references, in accordance with successively user inputted key signals and a set hierarchical relationship, an address database stored in the memory portion, and detects, and then outputs to the display portion a corresponding address character string. An outputting step outputs and displays on the display portion a Chinese-language address comprising the characters and numerals detected in accordance with each of the above-mentioned steps.
Therefore, according to the present invention, an input code of two numerals is assigned to each vocalization symbol. For example, xe2x80x9c22xe2x80x9d is used to represent the vocalization symbol  xe2x80x9c11xe2x80x9d is used to represent the vocalization symbol  and xe2x80x9c35xe2x80x9d is used to represent the vocalization symbol . At the same time, because the first vocalization symbol in each Chinese-language character is treated as a search key, when attempting to detect the Chinese-language character string  for example, this character string can be detected from the above-mentioned address database simply by inputting the six keys xe2x80x9c221134xe2x80x9d.
The address database is constructed by making use of the characteristics of an address hierarchical structure. For example, in Taiwan, in addition to dividing the country into 27 provincial and metropolitan areas based on administrative zones, each province and metropolitan area is further divided into cities, towns and villages. And each of these cities, towns, and villages is then further divided into roads, streets, lanes and alleys. This hierarchical relationship of addresses is shown in FIG. 10. If explained with regard to inputting the province  as mentioned above, 10 keys must be pressed with the Han-yin inputting method, and 17 keys must be used with the numeric key-based Chinese character voice inputting method, but with the present invention, only 6 keys are used.
Because the Chinese-language address inputting method of the present invention only uses the 10 numeric keys of 0-9, it is applicable to all devices that have the 10 numeric keys 0-9, regardless of whether that device is the general-purpose keyboard of a desktop computer, a notebook computer, or the like, the soft keyboard of a personal data assistant (PDA), the keypad of mobile communications equipment, for example, either an ordinary telephone, or a cordless phone, or the remote controller that operates a television set. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the time required to input Chinese-language address data.